BASSETLAW LEAGUE ROUND-UP: stage is set for ‘Super Saturday’ title showdown

BLINKHORN MAKES A NOISE -- Gareth Blinkhorn, whose five-wicket haul raced title-chasing Papplewick and Linby to an easy victory at home to Worksop.

Published:12:03Monday 15 August 2016

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The countdown has begun to a ‘Super Saturday’ showdown between the Bassetlaw League, Championship’s two title contenders after both raced to convincing victories.

Leaders Farnsfield elcipsed Edwinstowe by eight wickets, while second-placed Papplewick and Linby whacked Worksop by nine wickets. Now the stage is set for a duel between the two a week on Saturday (August 27) which could go a long way towars deciding the destiny of the champions’ crown and promotion back to the Notts Premier League.

Farnsfield currently hold a healthy 25-point advantage, with four games to play in total, after showing Edwinstowe no mercy in bowling them out for 93 in 30 overs. The wickets were shared by Joe Worrall (3-23), Iain O’Brien (3-25), Dave Loveridge (2-20) and Mark Hallam (2-23) before the runs were knocked off in under 18 overs.

In similar vein, Papplewick rushed out bottom team Worksop, whose first-wicket stand of 45 proved a false dawn. They fell for 106, with Gareth Blinkhorn taking 5-14 in 11 overs and Simon Roberts and George Blatherwick bagging two wickets apiece, before the hosts eased home in the hands of skipper Sam Ogrizovic (59no).

Third-placed Clipstone Welfare’s slim hopes of getting involved in the title race were sunk by a heavy defeat at Glapwell Colliery, who posted 244-9 before skittling the depleted visitors for 86. Glapwell were reeling on 104-6 at one stage until a stand worth 131 between Danny Bircumshaw (86) and skipper Matt Page (63).

Another century partnership, this time between captain Ben Marson (64) and John Skinner (56), guided Thoresby Colliery to a four-wicket win at struggling Whitwell, who were restricted to 208-9 in their 50 overs, despite 53 from Chris Foster that took them to 163-3 at one stage. Azar Hussain (4-52) cut short the hosts’ run spree before Thoresby reached their target with more than nine overs to spare.

A mid-table duel between Retford (160-4) and Anston (159) ended in a comfortable six-wicket victory for the visitors, despite a knock of 62 from home batsman Kirk Edwards. Anston’s mainstays were bowlers Amila Perera (4-23) and Ben Sommerville (4-27) and batsmen Kalyan Ampolu (45) and Luke Hall (44).

In the week’s other match, Notts and Arnold Amateurs crushed relegation-threatened North Wheatley with Leverton by 124 runs after building a fine total of 268-7